WE WERE THERE. – True conductor of the retransmission of public service, he officiates on this luxury set for twenty years.
If the sun shines in the sky, the wind blows on the terrace of France Televisions. It’s almost 2 p.m., headset in place and microphone in hand, Laurent Luyatall dressed in jeans, gets in place before attacking his day of live at Roland Garros.
A breathtaking panorama
Sitting on his stool, with his back to the Philippe-Chatrier court, he tries out his sound. In front of him, his notes sheets – with the matches of the day, a few lines on each of the important players and the names of the commentators of the meetings – are well wedged thanks to transparent plastic blocks. “It’s Lapin, my istant who found this so they don’t fly away”, he confides. The “Rabbit” in question, who is ready for all requests, is kindly spoofed by the facilitator. “It has been imposed on me for twenty years”, laughs the host who officiates, in fact, for two decades on the famous terrace of France Télévisions and finds his istant every year for the fortnight. The space on the set is reduced, as is the number of people present, promoting a relaxed and family atmosphere.
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This unique place overlooking the Central and offering a breathtaking panorama was created in 1995 on an idea of Christian Bîmes, then president of the French Tennis Federation and Jérôme Revon, the director at the time. “It had never been done and we were the only ones in the world”specifies Laurent Luyat who has just released the book of memories 20 years of Roland-Garros published by Ramsay. “At first, it allowed Pierre Sled to move from one court to another. When I arrived in 2003, I brought some novelties. In particular, I proposed that we welcome players on the terrace. » A concept was born!
Serena Williams the first guest
However, the beginnings were not easy. Serena Williams, defending champion in 2003, was the first to agree to come. Perhaps the champion still remembers her epic journey to reach the famous plateau. “She had to cross the aisles in the middle of the public and she was terrified! remembers the journalist. Now there are direct elevators to come. I also remember that we had Marat Safin who showed us his tattoos and Gustavo Kuerten, we had a good laugh. Some players, especially the French, were quite reluctant because they were afraid of being criticized. We had a hard time getting them to come at the start. But when Nadal, Federer or Djokovic came, everyone followed. From now on, doing an interview on the terrace of France Télévisions has become completely normal and is even part of the communication of champions. It whispers that Novak Djokovicclever, would reserve his arrival on Saturday afternoon when there are the most viewers in front of their screen.
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That day, Laurent Luyat awaits the arrival of Daniil Medvedev, Hugo Gaston and Stan Wawrinka. “He promised to come, he’s a good client”, explains the host, who prepares his interviews before the live, about the Swiss player. It is the day of rest of the latter who did not give the schedule of his arrival, as is often the case. Adaptability is one of the major qualities to have on the terrace. When the champions arrive, everything is set up so that they feel comfortable with a minimum number of people on the site and requests for photos or autographs prohibited.
” It’s as if, when TF1, which broadcasts the World Cup, Denis Brogniart welcomed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to his set. »
The efforts of the teams are often rewarded, the interviews carried out being generally different and interesting. “It’s another interview frame, we’re not hot right after a game. The players are calm, we can talk about other things. It makes them happy so it’s the best reward for us.”continues Laurent Luyat who measures his chance of welcoming the greatest champions and the future stars of tomorrow every day. “It’s as if, when TF1, which broadcasts the World Cup, Denis Brogniart welcomed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to his set… I measure my luck, it’s a real privilege. »
A bottle of water, a spare microphone… and cakes
On the terrace, everyone gets ready before going on air. Laurent Luyat has his little habits with, next to him on a small shelf, his laptop, a bottle of water, an emergency microphone, a cushion for the back…. and cookies for his 4 p.m. snack. “The most important thing for me is to have the scoreboard in front of me, especially in the first week when there are a lot of games. We want viewers to miss nothing “, he specifies. Michaël Llodra settles on the set. “You are radiant”, he says to Laurent Luyat. He is soon joined by Fabien Leveque And Mary Pierce. Discussions are going well on the meetings of the day. Everyone has a screen in front of them with the results in real time. 5-4-3-2-1: Laurent Luyat kicks off the day and gives his first guidelines for the matches to follow. He is in constant communication with Fabrice Colin, the editor-in-chief.
” You have to make decisions quickly and not procrastinate. »
Laurent Luyat
Both choose together when it is necessary to p from one court to another so that the viewers do not miss a crumb of the event. The first week, the number of encounters is considerable and the choices often difficult. “You have to make decisions quickly and not procrastinatecontinues the host. With Fabrice, we have the experience. It’s very hard to please everyone. The first week, we focus on the French and the big headliners, but the choices are always tricky. »
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Vigilant and friendly
During the fortnight, Laurent Luyat does, every day (apart from two when he takes a break), between six and eight hours of airtime. “It’s very intense. I have no pressure because I have the advantage of experience. I’m happy to be here, I have great consultants but I have to be constantly vigilant because it’s live, anything can happen. I mustn’t mess up the names of the players, so don’t make mistakes. While being friendly, having a little fun. People want to see the matches but also to relax. » He does it very well and is delighted with what he has achieved every year for twenty years. It has become a landmark for tennis fans but also for champions. “With Rafael Nadal, we kiss each other!he says The most complicated part of our jobs is to last, and I tell myself that in the end I resisted everything. It deeply touches me. As a kid, I watched all the games on television. If I had been told that I was going to be the presenter of the event for more than twenty years, I would never have imagined it from my native Grenoble. Like what you have to believe in your dreams. »
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